Mitt Romney kicks off fundraising swing in California

LOS ANGELES — Mitt Romney has kicked off a fundraising swing through California, looking to cash in on his provisional front-runner status in the unsettled Republican presidential field.

The former Massachusetts governor has five closed-door events over three days that start Tuesday in Sacramento and will include stops in Beverly Hills, the San Francisco Bay area and Orange County.

His campaign says there are no public appearances on his schedule.

California has long served as a deep reservoir of campaign cash for national candidates. In his 2008 run for the White House, Romney raised more than $8 million in California, by far his largest haul from any state.

Romney trip started on the same day that former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman formally joined the field of Republican candidates who want to oust President Barack Obama.